31 July 2018

This is the terrorism of which the 200 Rabbis came out against. Punishing someone for standing up for the Torah, for his opinion, and joining the distinguished Rabbis for stating the truth about this unnatural immoral subversive cult who desire to make their immorality legal, to receive financial aid (to foster surrogacy), to corrupt the raising of non-Jewish surrogate children as Jews and inside an abnormal family enclave.[Prominent Rabbis have differing opinions as to who is the authentic “mother” in surrogacy cases. “In Search of the Halakhic Definition of Motherhood, B’Or HaTorah, pp.51-59, Issue 25, www.jct.ac.il/en/bor-hatorah-home.] (A male cannot be a “female” because there is no natural womb from birth, in order to produce offspring. Surrogacy is vastly complex.) Everyone must take a position against this abnormal immorality before they cause others to become confused and disoriented about how G-D created humankind. This abnormality will cause the deterioration of the Israeli society and the Israeli army that Israel holds dear. To be “punished” for holding an opinion not “politically correct” is 'undemocratic and oppressive’.

Last week, over 250 rabbis wrote a letter criticizing what they called the "terror" of the recent pro-LGBT campaign.

In the petition sent to Walla News, the rabbis accuse the LGBT advocacy groups of "aggressive terrorism" and "brainwashing the media as if there is some kind of family concept" in order to "turn the perverts into heroes."

The rabbis, including prominent names such as Rabbi Yigal Levinstein, Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, and Rabbi Dov Lior, claim that the children who will be born surrogate to gay couples "will be miserable if they are not adopted in normative families."

Joining the prominent rabbis was Border Police Rabbi Yoel Shem Tov, who supervises the coastal and northern region. According to Haaretz, police management said that Rabbi Shem Tov will face disciplinary action for joining the protest, adding that public servants should not be weighing in on divisive issues.

"The police do not take a stand on any issue of protest or legitimate demonstration. The Israel Police acts throughout the year to approve and secure demonstrations and protests and to actualize the democratic right of every regular citizen to freedom of expression," said the police.

"In order to allow this, it is inappropriate for a policeman to actively participate in the public discourse, and to allow the police to behave with the necessary neutrality on every issue, as is appropriate in a democratic state. We see strict exceptions in this area certainly as regards the officers. The matter will be clarified and subject to the findings, it will be dealt with on the disciplinary level," added the police.

_____________________________

NOTE: Citizens employed in any capacity should be allowed to have an honest personal opinion on any matter raised in the society, despite his/her employment position; otherwise, such denial of self-expression could be deemed ‘undemocratic and oppressive’. Such opinion comes under “Personal Opinion” and not “Professional Position”.

Rabbi Mizrachi speaks painfully about what took place that was the biggest Chilul Hashem that he ever saw. Hashem will not let it pass. It’s only a matter of time (for His Retribution). Begins about 1 hour into the shiur. [I presume that he is speaking about the “Pride Parade” and the parading of the sin in public.] The Rabbi is very pensive throughout the shiur; and he also spoke of a “miracle” that happened that night of which he could not elaborate. But he did say if anyone came to him after the shiur he might give a hint about it.

Shabbat Parshas Pinchas: They asked for meat? Suddenly the fire surrounding them. If all around is burning … it didn’t scare them – it wasn’t a big enough warning [?fires of southern Negev? (Gaza)]. He says this parsha is very difficult to understand. He said the “70 Elders” were killed because they didn’t protest when the Am rebelled against Hashem. [and this is what is happening this week, and the “Rabbis” protested, B”H. Maybe because they did, their protest mitigated a “fiery response from Shamayim”.

EVERY LINE IN THE TORAH IS PROPHECY FOR TODAY, NOT JUST BACK THEN.

This is the Video he mentions in the above shiur which was given on June 6, this one was on June 5:

The Biggest Chillul Hashem Everand happens to be very timely this week also, for the “Parade” on August 2 in Jerusalem.

30 July 2018

Technion president: We weren't panicked, we were shocked. Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie says school is opposed to rabbis' letter condemning LGBTQ activists.

And this is what the Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie said:

"I would like to make it clear that the Technion administration was not alarmed by Rabbi Dukov's signature on the letter of the rabbis, but was shocked by the content of the letter and the opinions presented there," Lavie wrote.

"Rabbi Elad Dukov is the rabbi of the Technion synagogue, and he is not the 'rabbi of the Technion', a title that does not exist at all, and his signature on the rabbis' letter reflects his personal opinion and not the Technion's position," he wrote to Arutz Sheva.

This reminds me of

A Tale from Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav:

The king’s star gazer saw that the grain harvested that year was tainted. Anyone who would eat from it would became insane.

“What can we do?” said the king. “It is not possible to destroy the crop for we do not have enough grain stored to feed the entire population.”

“Perhaps,” said the star gazer, “we should set aside enough grain for ourselves. At least that way we could maintain our sanity.”

The king replied, “If we do that, we will be considered crazy. If everyone behaves one way and we behave differently, we will be considered the not normal ones.

“Rather,” said the king, “I suggest that you and I should eat from the crop, just like everyone else. However, in order to remind ourselves that we are not normal, we will make a mark on our foreheads. So that even if we are insane, whenever we look at each other, we will remember (and know) that we are insane!” (based on a translation by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan).

Israel opens kiosk at Berlin pride, angering an LGBT group back home – on Saturday, a ministry kiosk handed out Israeli flags that employed the rainbow pride colors and promoted gay tourism to Israel.

A Self Destruct Government

“There is no limit to the hypocrisy,” he said a statement. “With one hand, the [Israel] government takes away from the LGBT community the basic right to a family and parenthood, and with the other hand markets the country to LGBT tourism from around the world.The Foreign Ministry said that it sets up a stand at the event every year, Hadashot TV news reported. timesofisrael

[The] "government decided decades ago to make Israel a "Pink" center to gain sympathy in normally hostile left wing circles abroad and to distract criticism regarding the Palestian question [. . .] this was accomplished with the complicity of the media and the courts" [of Israel] (comment on another blog).

The damage is insidious, pervasive; attempting to “turn-on" adherents to their immorality

Religious IDF soldiers forcedto listen to transgender lecture

Soldiers in commanders course complain after being forced to listen [to] speech lauding transgender lifestyle. IDF says lecture was a mistake. [after the fact, its a mistake; why did it occur in the first place??]

ARUTZSHEVA: The IDF forced soldiers attending commanders course to attend a pro-transgender lecture given by an LGBT activist despite complaints from observant troops that it violated their religious beliefs.

According to the Channel 2 report, the lecture was related to the LGBT protests regarding the Surrogacy Law. The class was run under the auspices of the base's Education Corps, which provides a schedule of mandatory educational events for troops throughout the course.

"As part of our training course, we were forced to enter into a class with a transgender person," one soldier messaged his rabbi. "During the lecture, there were clear messages about connecting to our femininity and how much the subject of sex is above everything. "

"I feel that it hurts me as a religious soldier and as a combat soldier who wants to be part of the team," the soldier added. "Suddenly, because I emphasized that I do not agree with this issue, it makes me ashamed of the opinion that I grew up because it was perceived as primitive and different from all of them.”

UPDATE TO THIS VIDEO: The huge wildfires in northern California have so far killed six people. The sixth victim to be identified in the past few hours was a civilian who did not comply with instructions from local authorities and firefighters to leave the area.arutzsheva

CALIFORNIA: This is HUGE - Winds compounding situation - MORE fires breaking out

Great Quake of 2018 While the prediction was for the same timezone as the FULL 180, it may be that the Kilauea Volcanic Eruption will be the “Great Quake of 2018” unless it continues into 2019!

Hawaii Volcano Eruption Could Last for Years, Destroy New AreasLava erupts in Leilani Estates during ongoing eruptions of the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii, U.S., June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Terray Sylvester/File Photo Reuters (Reuters) - The eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano could last for months or years and threaten new communities on the Big Island, according to a report by U.S. government geologists. A main risk is a possible change in the direction of a lava flow that would destroy more residential areas after at least 712 homes were torched and thousands of residents forced to evacuate since Kilauea began erupting on May 3, the report by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Nuclear Watchdog Warns of Uranium Leak At South Carolina Fuel Factory

PENNSYLVANIA: Potassium Iodide Tablets Available for Those Near Nuclear Power Plants In Pennsylvania

What They Aren't Telling You About the Coming Food CollapseThis is an interview that Sean from SGT Report and I did 10 months ago talking about the coming collapse in global grain production due to the intensifying Grand Solar Minimum. Sean's channel was recently removed by YouTube for community guidelines strikes for talking the wrong way about political beliefs and how the world really operates behind the scenes. I am hosting this conversation on my channel so you yourselves can see the type of commentary and discussion that YouTube deems so offensive that will remove it from public discussion. For some reason you are not supposed to know that CO2 isn't the main driver of Earth's climate and we are about to repeat a 400 year cycle of global cooling, starting right now.

29 July 2018

The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) tells the story of Rav Yosef the son of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, who fell ill and was at the brink of death when his father’s prayers brought him back to life. When he came to, his father asked him: “My son, what did you see (in heaven)?” Rav Yosef replied: “I saw an upside-down world. Those who are on top here are on the bottom there; and those who are here regarded as lowly are exalted in heaven.” (Alshich)

A BLACK TIE EVENT

US AMBASSADOR to Host Surprise LGBT EVENT

What is our world coming to? US Ambassador? Our world is upside down and downside up!

JERUSALEM GETS READY TO HOST ANNUAL GAY PRIDE PARADE

David Friedman, who is considered to harbor religious and conservative views, surprises LGBT leaders in Israel with invite to black tie ceremony at his private Herzliya residence to celebrate Pride Parades in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The black tie event’s invitation says the ceremony will emphasize the Pride Parades in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

The announcement comes as a surprise to the LGBT community since Friedman is considered to subscribe to a more religious outlook and is known to hold more conservative views.

The event is scheduled to take place just over a month after the Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv and around three weeks before the parade in Jerusalem in August.

[JERUSALEM, AUGUST 2 from 16:30]

Tens of thousands of international tourists joined the sea of marchers, flying into Israel especially to take part in the parade.

The UK’s Ambassador to Israel, David Quarrey, joined the marchers on a London-themed float donated by the British embassy.

Cordelia Lange, from Germany, said Tel Aviv is "a very vibrant city, it's a city that embraces everything connected to gays, lesbians and LGBT and I think it's a combination of city at the beach and good vibes."

The parade concluded at the Charles Clore Park, where a number of artists performed at the gathering, including 2018 Eurovision Song Contest winner Netta Barzilai.

In theory, the law allows women to carry someone else’s child only out of altruism. In practice, however, that is not what actually happens.

The demonstrations for LGBT rights throughout Israel Sunday received relatively broad support throughout Israel, with tens of thousands – some even estimating close to 100,000 – turning out for the main rally in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square.

While the rallies and marches were for equality for LGBT people in general, the impetus for taking to the streets was the amended surrogacy law, which passed last week, expanding the right to hire a surrogate to include single women who are unable to bear children, due to medical difficulties, but not single men. The de facto outcome of that law is that male gay men cannot have biological children through a surrogate, sparking outrage among those who argued that the policy is discriminatory.

The problem with the surrogacy law is broader than just gay men.

What really ought to be protested is that in allowing surrogacy at all, the government has been sanctioning the trafficking of women’s organs for the past 22 years. In Israel, the law says that neither side of a surrogacy agreement can “receive or give compensation in money or in the equivalent of money... except for payments authorized by the authorization committee.”

In theory, the law allows women to carry someone else’s child only out of altruism. In practice, however, that is not what actually happens.

Prof. Talia Eldar-Geva, chairwoman of the Israeli Fertility Association, said in one of the Knesset discussions of the bill that “anyone who has been pregnant and given birth knows how difficult and painful this matter is, and anyone who treated surrogates who are pregnant... knows that what characterizes this population is the gap between the surrogate population and the populations that use surrogacy services....

“In Israel, this is a matter of a lot of money, and a large part of the surrogates come from a very deep need – and I don’t want to say to sell their bodies for money, but in some place, that’s the extreme. In order not to reach the extreme... we must have some kind of limitation in the use of surrogates.”

In other words, there tends to be a major class difference between the people who pay for a surrogate and the women who agree to carry their babies.

Knesset Health Committee chairman Eli Alalouf showed awareness of the law’s shortcomings when it was discussed in his panel, saying that if people truly wanted equality, this law would not exist.

There is also the emotional toll of carrying a baby for 10 months (don’t be fooled into thinking it’s really nine) and then not keeping it.

And then there are the health issues. In the absolute joy of a new baby being born, the lasting effects of pregnancy on a woman’s body are rarely part of the public discourse, but that doesn’t make them less serious. Postpartum depression is probably the most-discussed one, which is a real condition experienced by one in 10 women after childbirth, and which requires care. But even more common is diastasis recti, the separation of the abdominal muscles that an estimated 60% of mothers experience, which needs the attention of a physical therapist and sometimes surgery to be resolved. Or consider pelvic organ prolapse, a condition that a writer for Self described as “my vagina started falling out,” involving the small bowel, bladder, uterus and rectum drooping toward the vagina, because the muscles supporting them collapsed in the trauma of childbirth. An estimated 11% of women are at risk for this condition.

An argument can be made for a truly altruistic surrogacy system, like the organ donation system, which would be fair.

But until that happens, this is another form of discrimination, even of the commodification of women, of calculating their worth by their childbearing abilities.

"I was very sorry that they dared raise a hand to a great rabbi in Israel and reprove him with harsh words, for daring to say things written and interpreted in our holy Torah."

In a recording published on Kann 11 Rabbi Stern is heard opposing same-gender couples raising children as if they were a normative family. "No one talks about the fact that children are raised here into a very strange and unnatural life, without a father or a mother, and it is very possible that the children are ultimately miserable," said Rabbi Stern.

Meretz Party Chairman MK Tamar Zandberg was furious: "The gay community does not need reinforcement and help from an extreme rabbi, who certainly preached to his students against baseless hatred on Tisha b'Av, and returned to incitement at the end of the fast. He and his ilk can draw much frustration at the way the proud community has swept a whole country behind it, on the way to achieving full equality.”

Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlit”a:

When a person realizes that they are essentially a spiritual being, they can choose a spiritual path in life. A soul implies God, and God means Objective Truth, making Torah morality an imperative and the only true path to human perfection.

If a person rejects the idea of a soul, or even just forgets that it is their essence, they tend towards material priorities. Eventually it can even lead to hedonism, as happened to Noach’s generation. This eventually resulted in their being washed away by the Great Flood.

This has been the central struggle of man throughout his existence, ever since leaving the Garden of Eden. All that has gone wrong in history has been the result of societies for whom satiation of their physical bodies was the main objective. It has driven them to do the most unGodly of acts, all in the name of bodily conquest.

Human nobility, on the other hand, has always been the result of people for whom spiritual growth was their main priority. They too have had the same bodily desires, but they were made secondary to their “need” to live spiritually refined.

SOME SYMPTOMS AND WARNING SIGNS

Definitions: Opposite – a person or thing that is totally different from or the reverse of someone or something else. Synonyms: reverse, converse, antithesis, contrary, inverse, obverse, antipode.Disorient – make (someone) lose their sense of direction; make (someone) feel confused.

Convoluted Judaic expressions, definitions, and explanations, i.e. in Shiurim by some Rabbis. One must be sure that s/he is listening and learning from a Torah true educated and respected Rabbi in the Frum community.

When perpetrator becomes victim; and society blames the one who was attacked; example, scantily dressed young woman who is attacked and abused by a male illegal immigrant. New Years Eve Sexual Assaults in Germany and women were told to cover up and maybe this would not provoke the males. Convoluted thinking.

Even governments exhibit this type of thinking, and began to believe they were the true victims, ie the new Polish law and in the minds of the Polish people. This contrary way of thinking became normalized in many areas of living. Converse thinking.

The Palestinians have been playing the VICTIM since 1948 throughout the world, gaining thru publicity the ignorant and anti–Semitic among peoples believing the Palestinians were victimized by the Israelis. This has mushroomed into BDS spearheaded by the Israeli leftists and American Progressive/Liberal/socialist/communist instigators. The Israeli contingent stems from the Erev Rav, who stem from the perverted ancient Egyptians that left Egypt with the Jewish Nation.

How many of the American companies that opened offices and factories in Israel, that have pledged financial backing of 60,000 NIS for the anti-natural homosexual lifestyle of their employees? Did these employees bring their disoriented lifestyle to Israel? What percentage are actually Israeli born employees? Did they give preference to people of this persuasion? Were the hiring practices covertly attracting these people?

This infectious strain of oppositeness has invaded all areas of life on earth. Has anyone done any research on the animal species for unnatural behaviors? What if any effect can distortion or genetic anomalies be seen in the produce from the soil of Israel (fruits, vegetables, etc.) Fruits and vegetables that normally can be eaten without checking, now have to be checked for bugs. This means the soil is losing the specialness of Eretz Yisrael. Are animals cohabiting with species not their own? When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, everything on top of the soil and even the top layers of the soil itself were demolished, because of the sins of the people (of which was homosexuality). This is no joke.

Perhaps the burning fields in the South of Israel were affected by this unnaturalness and so needed to be purified through fire? Why did a BOULDER fall from the Southern end of the Western Wall? Why are there earthquakes in Northern Israel?

1. The fact that humans have evil inclinations is the way G-d created them. It is giving in to that inclination that is a sin.

2. Sin is the basis of death in the world, the basis of falsehood. The Torah is the source of life in the world, the basis of truth.

3. As a nation and as individuals, we are commanded by the Almighty to choose truth and life.

4. Pride is a despicable trait. Pride about sinning is doubly despicable.

5. A private, personal sin is a serious misdeed. Sinning publicly is the desecration of G-d's Name.

6. Every person who belongs to the People of Israel has a spark of G-dliness within him, one that must be loved as you love yourself. That is why we pray that sinners will return in the daily Silent prayer with the Hashivenu (return us) blessing, and for the mentally ill among them in the Refaenu (heal us) blessing.

7. Anyone who acts against the Jewish people does not take part in that G-dly spark and the Minim (against heretic talebearers) blessing is directed at him.

That is why we must not confuse those who fall prey to their evil inclinations but are not proud of their failings with those who turns their sins into a progressive ideology aimed at uprooting the Jewish nation and changing its basic identity.

8. Each and every one of us must speak out against any ideology of death and falsehood and must reprimand evildoers.

9. The command to reprimand others is meant to be done publicly, but only if it is clear and has a chance of being listened to, not if it is expected to achieve results opposite to those intended. The command to reprimand is always in effect, but is mainly intended towards those who wish to serve G-d and need to be strengthened so as to stand firm against the present public contamination.

10. Engaging in same-sex relations, as opposed to those who desire them and resist the urge to engage in them, is equivalent to leading the opposite of the Torah way of life. In the Torah way of life the healthy sexual urge leads to building families, children and a better world. Those who engage in those acts are doing the opposite, wasting physical desire with no responsibility toward the future.

The Torah way of life increases the inner joy stemming from the partnership of a man and a woman, while those who lead alternative lifestyles indulge in fulfiling desires and momentary pleasure, as do other living things

11. Along with more light, come more shadows. Just a few miles from the parade of falsehood and contamination there were the lights of 52 siyums marking the end of studying Talmudic Tractates.

12. The truth will win our, falsehood will disappear. So the Torah promises, with the words "and Hashem will bring you back." That is what we see unfolding before us in our wonderful state.

13. Our psychological response to those who are proud of their alternative lifestyles must be based on the calming and sure knowledge that they will wither while the Torah blossoms. At the same time, we must make sure we are fully aware of the severity of this contamination. Not as a threat we are facing, but as a falsehood whose existence we must act to end so as to allow for the Divine Presence to dwell among us.

More than 200 rabbis from the national-religious sector – some prominent leaders of their community – published [. . .] condemnation of surrogacy and adoption for gays on Thursday

The rabbis’ letter was signed by the most prominent leaders of the hardline wing of the national-religious community, including Rabbi Dov Lior; president of the Har Hamor Yeshiva Rabbi Tzvi Tau; Chief Rabbi of Safed Shmuel Eliyahu; co-dean of the Eli pre-military academy Rabbi Yigal Levenstein; dean of the Ateret Yerushalayim Yeshiva Rabbi Shlomo Aviner; and Rabbi Ouri Cherki, an educator in the Machon Meir yeshiva.

The rabbis said they were writing in defense of Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem Aryeh Stern who said earlier this week that allowing surrogacy for gay couples would cause “children to be born and enter a very strange and unnatural life, a life without a mother and father,” and that these children’s lives would become “wretched.”

Stern’s comments came against the background of the fierce opposition expressed by large sectors of the public to the new surrogacy law passed last Thursday in the Knesset, which extended access to surrogacy to include single women but not single men or gay couples.

The 200 signatories on Thursday’s letter wrote that Stern had spoken “simply about the eternal truth of our holy Torah and human normalcy, which the healthy majority of the State of Israel identifies with, and which is outraged by the provocations of the organizations of abomination, who carry out impudent marches in the cities of Israel and even arrange marches of abomination on the Fast of Av, a day of national mourning for the Temple which was destroyed in part due to illicit sexual relations and baseless hatred.”

[. . .] “the aggressive terror which accompanies the media’s brainwashing” designed to “destroy the concept of family and turn perverts into heroes will not succeed, and nor will the attempt to silence rabbis and sane people and turn them into delusional extremists.”

“Rabbi Aryeh Stern came out in defense of the children of Israel who will become wretched if they are not adopted by normative families,” they said, adding that their comments and Stern’s were designed to ensure that children are given “the basic right to live in natural, normative families and grow up to be normal and psychologically healthy.” JPost

27 July 2018

"Come and possess the good land which HaShem swore to your forefathers"

(Deuteronomy 6:18)

Av 15, 5778/July 27, 2018

The Torah reading of Va'etchanan begins with Moshe's impassioned plea to G-d to allow him to enter into the land of Israel with his people:

"Pray let me cross over and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon." (Deuteronomy 3:25)

Despite Moshe's entreaties, (and tradition has it that Moshe directed five hundred and fifteen separate prayers toward G-d concerning the matter), G-d turns down Moshe's request and instructs him to desist from his petitions and accept his fate. Indeed, Moshe will not plead with G-d about this ever again, but this does not in any way diminish his concern for his people's future in the land G-d promised them. In fact, Moshe immediately turns his thoughts to the nation, saying, "And now, O Israel, hearken to the statutes and to the judgments which I teach you to do, in order that you may live, and go in and possess the land which HaShem, G-d of your forefathers, is giving you." (Deuteronomy 4:1)

The connection which Moshe makes between hearkening to G-d's statutes, that is, faithfully fulfilling the Torah commandments, and entering into, living in and possessing the land is not a casual connection. It's the entire connection. Fulfilling G-d's commandments and being sovereign in the land of Israel is the entire Torah. And this intrinsic and vital connection is one that Moshe will continue to repeat and emphasize and stress and state and underscore throughout the remainder of the book of Deuteronomy, that is, till the very day that he dies.

The children of Israel inherited G-d's promise to their forefathers that they shall dwell forever in the land of Israel, and they also received in the wilderness, at the foot of Mount Sinai, the eternal Torah covenant with G-d. What Moshe is teaching them is that the two are intrinsically intertwined. It is not simply that more than half of the Torah commandments can only be fulfilled in the land of Israel. It is much more than that: the land of Israel is the children of Israel's soulmate. The land is a living, breathing partner in Israel's livelihood and well-being, spiritual, as well as physical, and in Israel's intimate connection with G-d, who Himself has chosen to dwell in the heart of the land.

The Torah is not a creed that one can fully observe wherever he may be in G-d's world. The Torah, whose full name is the Torah of Israel, is not just the Torah of the people of Israel and the G-d of Israel, but also the Torah of the Land of Israel. The nation of Israel can only be the nation of Israel in the land of Israel, and to fully achieve this objective the nation of Israel needs to adhere to the Torah of Israel. It is within the context of this knowledge that Moshe goes on to re-convey to the people the Ten Commandments received at Sinai, to emphasize that these commandments, universal as they are, must be observed by the people of Israel as a nation, within the boundaries of the land of Israel. The nation of Israel lives and thrives in the land of Israel, by the Torah of Israel, bequeathed to Israel by the G-d of Israel.

Moshe cannot emphasize this essential equation enough, and he will repeat it over and over again as he prepares his people to enter and possess the land. As obvious as this connection may seem, apparently it just cannot be emphasized enough. Just this week the Israeli Knesset approved what is known as the Nationality Law, in which it is stated that, among other things,

"A. The land of Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people, in which the State of Israel was established.
B. The State of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people, in which it fulfills its natural, cultural, religious and historical right to self-determination.
C. The right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people."

While this new law is basically a repetition of Israel's 1948 Declaration of Independence, and while it may simply be restating what to many of us is obvious, the new law, nevertheless caused a wave of protest among some of Israel's Jewish citizens, who, perhaps, didn't want to be reminded of what it means to be the nation of Israel in the land of Israel. And while the new law falls short of directly mentioning the need to, as a nation, adhere to the Torah of Israel, it does further remind us that:

"Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of Israel... The state’s language is Hebrew... The state will be open for Jewish immigration and the ingathering of exiles... The state views the development of Jewish settlement as a national value and will act to encourage and promote its establishment and consolidation... The Hebrew calendar is the official calendar of the state... [and] The Sabbath and the festivals of Israel are the established days of rest in the state; Non-Jews have a right to maintain days of rest on their Sabbaths and festivals.. "

Moshe himself knew that Israel needed to be reminded from time to time of its purpose and destiny and why this destiny can only be pursued as a sovereign nation in the land of Israel. Indeed, at the close of Va'etchanan, Moshe again, states it, simply and succinctly:

"Diligently keep the commandments of HaShem, your G-d, and His testimonies. and His statutes, which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is proper and good in the eyes of HaShem, in order that it may be well with you, and that you may come and possess the good land which HaShem swore to your forefathers." (ibid 6:17-18)

With Tisha B’Av behind us and T’U B’Av upon us, we must express our gratitude for Hashem’s constant mercies. We are still alive, and we are now in the count-down to the Yoman Noraim. It is time to prepare our neshomas for renewal.

Moshe Rabbeinu davened and we daven. Moshe did not give up and we cannot give up.

I thought about something that is consistent with this season of teshuva, and it occurred to me that I would like to write about this. This is an approach to teshuva that connects with the nineteen brachas of Shemoneh Esreh. I would like to explore this as follows.

First bracha: this bracha is called “Avos,” but it is really about Hashem Himself, the G-d of the Avos. Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov “rediscovered” the Ribono shel Olam, but the bracha itself focuses on Him. There is no teshuva if we don’t recognize Hashem’s Existence. That’s where it all begins! My entire personal spiritual reawakening began at the moment (age twenty three) that I discovered Hashem must exist.

Second bracha: techias hamaisim follows from our discovery of Hashem’s Existence. If we find Hashem, then suddenly we realize we can escape death! I may feel as if I am dead right now, but if Hashem can rescue me from death, there is hope! I now have reason to do teshuva!

Third bracha: the kedusha of Hashem’s Name. This is huge, but it seems that Hashem agrees to “come down” to this world and emplace His Shechina here (may we see it soon)! That is how the world can become sanctified. We have lost the Bais Hamikdosh and the accessibility of the Shechina, but it is still possible to come close to Hashem by “praising His Name” on a constant basis. So we now have a derech for teshuva. I can also do this.

Fourth bracha: here is the tachlis. We need “da’as” to do this. Hashem gave me a brain and I have to use it. I am here in the world and I recognize that it is empty, tohu vavohu, if I don’t recognize His existence. So the first thing I have to do is use my brains to understand He Exists and figure out how I can find Him.

Fifth bracha: So what’s the answer? Teshuva! There is such a thing as saying, “I was wrong!” Wow! And Hashem “desires” that! It’s not so difficult once I realize that I can do it!

Sixth bracha: selicha! After we do teshuva, Hashem is going to forgive us! Amazing! That means maybe He will look on me kindly and I am not a rasha after all! There is hope for me! That is, after all, the theme of this very Shabbos: Nachamu! There can be nechama in this world!

Seventh bracha: “goail Yisroel!” Hashem can save me? Me personally? And He wants to? That is stupendous! I thought it was all hopeless, but now I see that, if He forgives me then He will go one step further and lift me up! Maybe I can do teshuva after all!

Eighth bracha: Refuah! No matter what I have wrong with me, spiritually and physically, I see that Hashem can fix literally everything! This gives me so much chizzuk!

Ninth bracha: This is “on the ground.” If I do teshuva, Hashem is going to renew the entire world! He’s going to make the entire earth into a paradise again! My teshuva could bring a complete healing to the entire world!

Tenth bracha: And this will start a tidal wave! All the exiles will come home! I am so excited! I cannot wait to hear that Shofar Gadol! This is actually attainable!

Eleventh bracha: When that happens, the entire world will be run with justice and righteousness. Can you imagine such a world! Everything run according to the Torah!

Twelfth bracha: And all the evil ones, the sinners and rebels will cease to be a threat! Those who hate Torah will no longer plague the world! Can you imagine such a beautiful thing! No more fear of evil people who have the power to bring destruction!

Thirteenth bracha: The tzaddikim and chassidim, those who love Hashem with all their heart, will be victorious, and the entire world will rely upon Hashem! The righteous ones will no longer be ashamed. There is so much to hope for!

Fourteenth bracha: Yerushalayim will be rebuilt! No more chillul Hashem! It will be the Holy City again in every respect and Dovid’s throne will be restored!

Fifteenth bracha: the “keren yeshua” will be filled with oil and the Novi will anoint the king! This is none other than Moshiach! There are no words for the greatness of this event!

Sixteenth bracha: And then our tefillos will go up straight to Shomayim like the smoke column from the mizbaiach! Nothing will block them! No more yetzer hara!

Seventeenth bracha: The Shechina will return to Tzion! This is the ultimate! The entire world will then be perfect. Truth will shine and evil will be completely vanquished! All the righteous will dance!

Eighteenth bracha: Modim! Thank You, Hashem! What can we do but endlessly thank the Ribono shel Olam for His kindnesses! All the things we davened for have come to pass!

Nineteenth bracha: Then the world will be at peace! This is the real thing. Not a political deal; not a military truce. Peace will be from Shomayim. Just as there is Shalom on Shabbos, the entire world will enjoy true Peace forever. “They will sit, each man under his vine and under his fig tree and none will make them afraid….” (Micah 4:4)

“Nachamu, nachamu … comfort, comfort My people … the glory of Hashem shall be revealed and all flesh as one shall see that the mouth of Hashem has spoken.” (Haftaras Vaeschanan)

Ein Od Milvado

LIVING in Eretz Israel is the equivalent of all the Mitzvot of the Torah (Sifri, Parashat Re'eh, TOSEFTA, AVODA ZARA 5:2)

Fortunate is he who merits in his life to FIX HIS RESIDENCE in Eretz HaKodesh (Zohar Hakadosh Iii 72b) and remove from your heart this false belief that a man has more blessings outside the land (Alshich Hakadosh, Ki Tavo 28:6)